Nepal’s cricketing community was left saddened on Thursday morning with the news of the untimely death of Meenash Thapa, a player of the cricket team of Koshi Province.

According to Nepal Police, Thapa, a resident of Biratnagar Metropolitan City’s ward 5, met with an accident on Wednesday night while on a motorcycle (State 1-02-042 Pa 8002).

“The motorcycle went out of control while en-route to Ganesh Chowk from Airport Line in ward 4 of Biratnagar Metropolitan City,” read Thursday’s news bulletin of Nepal Police Headquarters. “Thapa died during treatment at Koshi Hospital.”

Thapa, 27, was an opening batsman for the provincial cricket team of Koshi.

Nepali cricket reacts

“The whole cricket family, including the Koshi Province Cricket, is in grief after hearing the sudden death of Meenash, a promising, skilled and talented cricketer,” read a Facebook post of the Provincial Cricket Association, Koshi Province, on Thursday morning. “Koshi Province has lost a player with huge potential and a future in the sport. The contributions made by Meenash to the development of Koshi’s cricket will never be forgotten.”

Likewise, the Cricket Association of Nepal also expressed condolences. “We pray the departed soul of Meenash rest in eternal peace,” read a social media post by the CAN. “We also pray that the family members of Meenash and the Nepali cricket fans get the strength to endure this sorrow.”

Kathmandu Gorkhas, a franchise of the Nepal Premier League, wrote, “Kathmandu Gorkhas team is deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Meenash Thapa. We express our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. May his soul rest in peace.”

Likewise, the Bolts Army, a fan group of Janakpur Bolts, wrote, “A talented athlete from Koshi Province, Meenash Thapa, will always be remembered for his passion and dedication.”

Locals and cricket fans of Biratnagar gathered to light candles in the memory of Thapa on Thursday evening. There were condolences pouring in from cricket fans in a photo of the candle lighting-function, where a bat and a pair of gloves were kept alongside a short obituary of Thapa, shared by the social media page Routine of Nepal Banda.

As per Espncricinfo.com, a website focusing on cricket statistics and news, Thapa ranked second in fan rating in Koshi Province’s T20 team. As per the statistics on the website, Thapa, with 325 runs in 22 matches, was the highest run-scorer of the team in T20s in the last one-year period.